Stories from March 2010

For three years, I have sung oohs, ahs and na-nas with The Crosstones. Having never been in an a cappella group before, I started out wary of singing in semi-circles and using bizarre syllables to recreate Billy Joel's greatest hits. But after spending my first year at Bates watching numerous a cappella performances in packed rooms all over campus, I was hooked.

Constance Berry Newman, a former U.S. State Department diplomat for African affairs, presents the lecture "Expectations of 21st-Century African Leaders: Too High or Too Low?" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4, in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives at Bates College, 70 Campus Ave.

The Bates College Gamelan Orchestra, joined by Indonesian puppeteer Apep Sobani and by composer Wahyu Roche, performs in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St.

Bay Buchanan, one of the most prominent contemporary conservative voices, offers a lecture at 7 p.m. Monday, March 8, in Chase Hall Lounge at Bates College, 56 Campus Ave. Buchanan will address immigration issues in the United States. Sponsored by the Bates College Republicans, this event is open to the public at no cost.